'We're not going to lie down' — the houseboat residents fighting for their rights at Chelsea Reach
On December 19 2023, a hotly anticipated planning meeting was held at Kensington Town Hall.
Councillors voted unanimously that three new “apartment boats” on the historic houseboat moorings at Chelsea Reach were in breach of planning control. Then in February this year, a further meeting confirmed that enforcement action would be taken against the three boats.
To outsiders, this may seem an innocuous decision.
But for residents, who have been embroiled in an eight-year dispute with Chelsea Yacht and Boat Company (CYBC), which has managed the moorings under licence from The Port of London Authority (PLA) since 2016, this represents a potentially vital turning point.
“It was the first time that we felt that there was light on the horizon,” says Alexandra Pringle, a boatowner and 25-year resident at Chelsea Reach.
“We’re feeling more optimism; more strength. You need to have something to give you hope, and this really did. We’re going to continue this campaign. We’re not going to lie down. No way.”
Background to the dispute
Moored just off Cheyne Walk, one of the country’s most expensive addresses, Chelsea Reach is a collection of 60 colourful converted barges and World War Two landing crafts with names like Spirit of Chelsea, Moby Dick and Maddalena.
It has existed since the 1930s, with some residents living at the moorings
